Widow, 84, dies three days after burglar beats her for handbag

A FRAIL 84-year-old widow who died at the hands of a “callous and violent” burglar is the latest victim of a string of shocking crimes against Britain’s elderly. Joyce Burgess – described as “kind and sweet” by neighbours – was violently attacked by an intruder in her home.

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I’m absolutely disgusted. There’s a special place in hell for people like that.

Laurelei Dudley, 47, said: “

She is believed to have sustained “a lot of facial damage” in the sadistic assault.

A relative of Mrs Burgess’s , who did not wish to be named, said: “We were told the bleeding had stopped and they were trying to find a bed for her in the hospital. That’s why it was such a shock when we heard she had died.”

The relative added that Joyce had a twin sister Joan and an older sister Phyllis, aged 87.

They said she also had a son, Ian, who lives in Turkey.

Neighbours yesterday expressed their horror at the cowardly attack.

Mother-of-two Laurelei Dudley, 47, said: “I’m absolutely disgusted. There’s a special place in hell for people like that.”

She said Mrs Burgess was “kind and sweet” and “no threat to anyone”.

She said: “She was very frail and not very mobile. I can’t imagine anyone hurting her. She had recently got a mobility scooter.”

Sourabh Sachdeva, 34, who lives opposite, said: “The police called over that day and asked if we had seen a white van or anyone in the area. We usually would have but everyone was inside watching the football. The police told us the guy asked her for a glass of water so he could get in the house.”

Another neighbour Christine Escritt, 67, said she has been “living on edge”.

She said: “It’s so scary. I’m afraid to answer the door. When I heard she had died I told my son we need to move.”

Surrey Police said yesterday: “At around 5.30pm a man entered the home of 84-year-old Joyce Burgess. He then stole her handbag and attacked her, resulting in serious injuries. The man left and got into a white vehicle.”

The attacker is white, slim and 5ft 8in to 6ft tall with light brown hair.

He was clean shaven and spoke with an English accent.

Detective Sergeant Adam Tatton said: “This was a terrifying ordeal.”

The Daily Express Respect For The Elderly crusade is calling for better protection for older people, with tougher sentencing for the abuse and exploitation of the elderly which should be recognised as a specific form of hate crime.